CHAPTER SIX: FALLING INTO YOU
He felt old, deathly old. It was only a month ago that he had turned sixteen, yet it felt like a millennia had passed. Perhaps he was just tired of day to day survival. Perhaps the effort of moving throughout each sunrise to sunset was slowly wasting his soul, giving his mind to blackness. He should just end it. Why suffer for another millennia when he could just end it right now; all he had to do was give in to the luring melancholy song of the void and be swept forever into a mind-numbing darkness. But something always stopped him. It might have been pure coincidence or intentional, but as he stared at the transparent ripples of a white ceiling of water, he knew it could not end like this. He had something more to live for.
Perhaps he was a coward. But, as a true Gryffindor, he was not afraid of anything except the weakness instilled in him by fear. Death, a friend he had come in close contact with throughout his short life, was only the next step, not merely the last. No, he had something to live for and that something, if only a trace of feeling, was enough to suddenly connect him to that thread of light. As he ascended, drawn by that *something*, he though, 'I will show all of them who I really am. I'll prove to them that I'm not the Boy-Who-Lived, that the fate of the world does not rest solely on my shoulders, that I'm just a normal sixteen-year-old British boy, that I'm just plain, old Harry…'
"Potter?" A sharp voice pierced the dense bubble of silence and his ascent was complete. He sensed that "something", but his thoughts were misted by delirium and logic was not one of his strongest abilities at the moment. With a great effort, he opened his eyes to the glare of the candlelight by his bedside and caught a silvery-blue flash in the darkness. His lips parted and thoughts given sound as he whispered in a raspy voice, "Malfoy…"
****
The moment his eye caught the glance of the trembling figure, he was lost. Just one touch, one look and he was swept into a maelstrom of emerald emotions The floor leapt beneath his feet, the world spun about him, and the hospital wing dissolved into mist. In his mind, he started falling into stagnant pools of green…endlessly falling…and as he fell, he observed a whole history of a boy whom he despised with a passion. He saw the shreds of a mind ripped with pain and hatred and at the very heart of those shreds, bared fully to the rough face of the outside world was an innocent soul. That innocence filled Draco with guilt and…horror. Did he really want to hurt such a beautiful innocence? Did he really want to hurt… "Potter?"
Then a wall slammed down over those depths and Draco was greeted with a raspy whisper of someone far too used to pain and death. Those walls were cold subhuman structures still trembling even with the heat of the dancing flames in the hospital wing. Yet it was something behind those walls which called in a whispery distant voice, "Malfoy…", neither a statement nor a question.
Harry collapsed nearly rolling off the small cot and onto the floor. Malfoy reached out with a Seeker's reflex and caught the human rag doll in his arms. Draco lifted Harry back onto the cot just as Madam Pomfrey chose that moment to enter the room.
"Mister Malfoy! What do you think you're doing?!?" she exclaimed rushing to Harry's bedside, "Meddling with my patients! I'll have none of that! Shoo!" She then began feeling Harry's forehead and took his pulse before she noticed blood stained on Harry's bed sheet. A look of horror came into her eyes.
"Oh no, he's bleeding again." She was about to strip the blankets off the half-naked boy when she caught sight of Draco and the nasty cut above his right eye.
Breathing an obvious sigh of relief she said, "Oh! It's only you who are bleeding!"
Draco's, who had felt a strange turning sensation in his stomach as Madam Pomfrey lifted the edge of the blanket, allowed his temper to take control, "What do you mean, 'It's only me?!'" he snapped, but Madam Pomfrey did not pay him one bit of attention as she shooed Draco over to the cot beside Harry's and brought out some healing salves and potions.
"Tut, tut, deary. Have you been fighting with Mr. Weasley again? And at the beginning of the year, too?"
But Draco ignored her, 'Stupid old bat,' he thought. Then as his head basked in relief at the coolness of the healing salve, Draco thought back to that *old bat's* previous words. 'What did she mean when she said, "he's bleeding again"?'
***
Madam Pomfrey had healed his cut quickly with a flick of her nimble wand and some salve and now, as he sat at the Slytherin table watching the end of the sorting ceremony, Draco finally had some time to sit back and think about the strange beginning to what he hoped would be a promising year. Still, he was once again interrupted by Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster and mudblood lover.
"Before we begin the start of term feast, I'd like to make a few announcements. Firstly, in light of the Ministry's acknowledgement of Lord Voldemort's (several gasps were heard at this point) return, I must stress the use of caution anywhere outside of Hogwarts castle. I must also mention how important it is in times like these to maintain strong relationships and overcome barriers to discover new friends. As I said before, we are only strong as we are unified. As such, I and the other teachers have modified your schedules and classes and arranged certain enjoyable events throughout the year to keep inter-house relationships developing and strong."
A loud groan arose from the student body at this, particularly those in Slytherin, and one Ronald Weasley.
"I bet he's put all the Gryffindors and Slytherins together. It's bad enough putting up with Malfoy in Potions and Care of Magical Creatures let alone every other class. He's going to be cursing us everyday!" Snickers were heard from surrounding Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs at this somewhat louder than necessary remark.
"Shh, Ron. Listen to Dumbledore!" scolded Hermione as she noticed Malfoy stare strangely in their direction with a mixture of suppressed rage and confusion decorating his countenance.
Dumbledore continued when the Great Hall settled down, "On a happier note, with the removal of the Ministry's influence at Hogwarts, it is my pleasure to announce this year's new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher. With the suggestions and requests of surprisingly many parents, I am pleased to appoint Professor Remus Lupin for this position." There was a tumultuous roar from most students especially Gryffindor.
"Now, let the feast begin!"
"Well, at least we'll learn something useful this year," said Ron turning to the table piled high with heavenly food. "But can you imagine having classes with Slytherins? Transfiguration might not be so bad, though." He loudly cleared his throat and did an uncanny imitation of Professor McGonagall. "Today students, we will be transforming humans into animals, focusing on the ferret. Now who would like to demonstrate first?"
Dean, Ginny, and Seamus, who had been listening erupted in bellows and giggles. Hermione chuckled to herself but suddenly frowned as she recalled Malfoy's behaviour on the train and the missing Harry.
"Ron, I suggest we go to Professor Lupin or Professor Dumbledore after the feast and find out what happened to Harry. I'm so very worried. He hardly wrote to us all summer and now we have no idea where he could be!" She was nearing hysterics.
Ron look scared for a moment, but then saw Hermione's distress and began to comfort her. "We'll go find him right after the feast, 'Mione. I'm really worried too."
A/N: Hey! Hope you like that! I know there wasn't a lot that happened. I have all these great ideas that I'm just having trouble putting down on paper (on the screen, in this case). I just don't know how to fit these ideas together. As an engineer, I have no idea why I'm trying to write creatively. Oh well, hope you enjoyed that chapter. More coming soon!